The present invention relates to transaction-based social networking, and more specifically, to a private, business-rule compliant and secure business-to-business social network enabling transactions between stakeholders.
Currently, the life science vertical and related industries utilize a business model that is push-driven. Pharmaceutical sales representatives undergo training and certification regarding one or more drugs sold by the pharmaceutical companies. Once certified, these sales representatives are tasked with calling medical facilities in an effort to schedule in-person visits with health care providers to inform the providers about these drugs.
This business model can be very inefficient in that oftentimes busy health care providers have little time to engage with the sales representatives. Some health care providers are resistant to such meetings altogether, such that scheduling time to meet with them is rendered more difficult. Furthermore, this business model is extremely expensive to maintain for the pharmaceutical companies, as each visit costs the pharmaceutical companies hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars.
What is needed, therefore, is a way to more efficiently engage members of the life science vertical industry.